Our troops are still stuck in Iraq, and there is widespread talk among administration officials that the slow-motion withdrawal we were promised is grinding to a complete halt.

Worse, President Obama has announced an Afghan surge, sending tens of thousands more U.S. troops to a nation that has been wracked with war for centuries, on the thin pretext that America is somehow endangered by Pashtun tribesmen on the edge of the world.

We face another 10 years of “pacifying” Afghanistan – and risk getting sucked into the same hopeless situation in Pakistan – unless you act now.

We depend on you, our readers and supporters, for the funding we need to keep going, and we are desperately short at the moment. Yes, these are hard times for everyone, but especially for those who don’t pander to party loyalties in the struggle for a more peaceful world. We are taking on the war plans of the present administration just as we did the last. But we can’t do it without your help.

It’s fine and dandy to oppose wars and fight for justice, but you can’t do it without knowledge. The battle to determine the direction of American foreign policy is part of a larger war of ideas. To win it, we must bring to the battlefield a comprehensive understanding of often complex issues. Antiwar.com makes the case for peace with solid reporting and analysis. That’s what makes this site worth supporting with your tax-deductible dollars.